Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Directed by Richard Thorpe

Film Review

The first CinemaScope film made by MGM is this lavish excursion into Arthurian legend, which is distinguished by its sumptuous use of colour and some marvellously well choreographed fight sequences.  Knights of the Round Table was the second of three similarly garish period romps directed by Richard Thorpe in England and featuring Robert Taylor, the other two being Ivanhoe (1952) and Quentin Durward (1955).  Whilst the pageantry and grand battle scenes make for a pleasing visual spectacle there is too little intrigue and character depth to hold it all together.  The film feels unevenly paced and overlong, although it is difficult to remain bored for long with so much happening on the screen.  The cod religious ending jars a little and invites more derision than respect, partly because Robert Taylor never quite convinces as the conflicted French knight Sir Lancelot.  Mel Ferrer makes an excellent King Arthur and Ava Gardner is perfectly ravishing as Queen Guinevere, but it is Stanley Baker who gives the best and most interesting performance, clearly revelling in the part of the evil Mordred.  This a film that every schoolboy should watch, before diving headfirst into Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, an essential part of his education.

Film Synopsis

After Rome has withdrawn her legions, England has descended into anarchy, with rival factions constantly at war.  Arthur Pendragon and his half-sister Morgan LeFay have an equal claim to the crown of England and it is Merlin, a renowned sorcerer, who settles their dispute.  By removing a sword named Excalibur from an anvil, Arthur proves he is the rightful heir, but in doing so he acquires a mortal enemy in Mordred, Morgan LeFay's ambitious son.  Arthur establishes a court at Camelot that includes some of the bravest knights in the kingdom, the most honourable being Lancelot.  When Mordred discovers that Arthur's queen, Guinevere, is in love with Lancelot, he sees an opportunity to break Arthur's rule and claim the kingdom for himself...